The Hard Questions
by Tanooki Daisy
Summary: Shortly after their first adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Luigi share a peaceful evening on the steps of their new home, but while Mario is relaxing, Luigi can't help but wonder about the inexplicable thing sthat happen in this new world.


It was early evening in the Mushroom Kingdom. The bright orange sun was slowly sinking from its high point in the sky, making the shadows grow longer and longer. On the steps of a humble dwelling known as the Pipe House, two young men sat together, watching the sunset.

The two men- twin brothers, in fact- had lived in the house for a only a few weeks, but they had for the most part settled quickly and easily; after their bizarre adventure through the strange world, and meeting the princess of course, it was hard to imagine going back to Brooklyn to be plumbers.

Still, the Mushroom Kingdom was at first very hard to get used to. There were so many things that happened there that shouldn't be possible. Mario, the older and slightly more easily adjusted of the two, had quickly gotten used to everything. His younger, more practical brother, however, couldn't help but think about it now and then; trying to figure out the things that didn't make any sense.

Today, while they watched the sun which so resembled a ball of pure fire, Luigi's mind began to wander, back to their first encounter with the world in which they were heroes.

"Hey, Mario?" He spoke in a rich Italian accent, as did his brother.

"Yeah?"

"You know how when we picked those fire flowers, we could throw fire balls?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

Luigi said nothing for a moment. "Well," he said after a pause, "How exactly does that work, do you think? It doesn't seem possible."

Mario, who had been lounging against the upper steps, sat up a little a looked at his brother with a thoughtful expression. "You, know, I've thought about that. I have no idea, though. It was cool, though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Luigi said. "But… shouldn't they have burned our hands?"

Mario shrugged. "Probably. Good thing they didn't."

Luigi nodded his agreement and fell silent once more. Mario crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back again, his eyes half-closed as he enjoyed the tranquil evening. Luigi, however, sat with his chin resting on his hands, and his elbows on his knees, staring raptly out at the western sky. The sun was dipping lower and lower, splashing golds and reds across the purpling sky. Fluffy pick clouds drifted lazily across the magnificent sunset. Although his eyes were looking at the gorgeous scene, Luigi's mind was elsewhere.

"Mario?" he said suddenly after a while.

"Hmm?" his brother murmured, half-asleep.

"Don't you ever wonder what happens to goombas and stuff after we stomp on them? I mean, they get all flat, and then they just disappear! How does that _happen?_ Where do they go?"

Mario half opened one eye and considered his younger brother for a moment. He wasn't looking at Mario when he spoke; his eyes were unfocused as he stared into space. He knew that look; it was a look of puzzlement and contemplation- like anyone will look after being told a very hard riddle. After a moment he closed his eye again and grinned. "Dunno. It must be magic."

"Well, where do the coins come from?"

"They fall out of their pockets before they disappear."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "Goombas don't _have_ pockets, Mario."

Mario sat up. "Well, _I _don't know, Luigi. What I do know is that you think too much. Why are you so worried about how things work? Just try to shut up and enjoy it, all right? You'll be a lot happier." With that he leaned back once again, pulling the brim of his cap over his eyes with a yawn.

Luigi looked at him, surprised. Mario had never been an intellectual, much less a philosopher. He wondered whether it was really good advice, or just an attempt to make Luigi hush so Mario could relax. Either way, it made the younger Mario brother think.

The sun had set by this time. On the distant horizon a soft orange glow lingered, fighting back the night that was already setting in. Over head, bright stars twinkled and winked down on the world as it slumbered. Luigi gazed up at them in wonder, noticing that they were completely different from the stars over Earth. But more than that, he realized suddenly that he had never seen stars so bright. The sky over Brooklyn was often overcast, and even on clear nights there was too much light from the city overpowering the distant twinkling of stars. He smiled at them, truly content.

"Mario," he said softly.

Mario sighed. "What?"

Luigi continued staring upwards, but this time his eyes were clearly focused on the heavens. "I'm really glad we came here," he said.

Mario looked at him and smiled. "Me too."

_I started writing this as just an outlet for my own wondering about the weirdness of the game world, and then in the end it got really deep… :P But I really like the way it turned out, though. I've just discovered that I really like one-shot fast fics like this, and I've actually done two more  I hope you liked this story, and I hope you all realize that I obviously don't own any Mario characters or themes. Please, please, please R&R!_


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